After the Philadelphia 76ers received a unclear update on Joel Embiid’s return to the hard court this season, it appears they can finally breathe easy with the reigning Most Valuable Player taking a major step toward playing new this season.
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Embiid has joined the team training for the first time since hurt your knee in late January – a very encouraging development for a Sixers team struggling to stay afloat for a guaranteed playoff spot without its best player.
76ers officials have reportedly set their sights on having Embiid return during the first or second week of April, which would allow him to become familiar with the team before the conclusion of the regular season.
Head coach Nick Nurse was a little more reserved on Embiid’s return, saying there’s no timetable remaining, but barring a setback, it’s likely the league’s leading scorer (before getting injured) will be able to return to this stage.
As of this writing, the 76ers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, holding the last guaranteed playoff spot. However, this remains a close race that will most likely extend towards the end of their campaign, as they are only a half-game ahead of the seventh-seeded Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, they are just 4.5 games ahead of ninth-place Chicago.
Nonetheless, Embiid’s return would be a potentially game-changing development not only for the 76ers, but for the league. Philadelphia was in third place and not far from second place in the East before falling to injury, and the team showed great development on both ends of the floor when its core was healthy.
Following. fa losing teams. 4 free agents on losing teams expected to sign with the 76ers this summer. dark
